


One More Waking

by jesterlady



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s02e11 Getting Closer, F/M, Memories, Missing Scene, One Shot, Romance, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-16
Updated: 2011-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-26 03:39:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/278260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesterlady/pseuds/jesterlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During Getting Closer Priya finds Saunders’ wish fulfillment exercise and she and Tony get their memories back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One More Waking

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Dollhouse. The title is by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Jets were fast and he could probably tell you how and why, even if that wasn't exactly his field of expertise; but, the fact remained that DC was on the other side of the country. He had to wait a long time for Paul and Tony to get back with Bennett. Topher spent the time chewing his fingernails, ranting at Ivy, and being a complete nuisance which is probably why Adelle decided to give him a project.

“You will clean this lab from top to bottom,” she said sternly, somehow managing to sound like a British version of his mom. “We may have to clear out of here rather quickly and I don't want anything incriminating left behind. Start with the wedges. Make sure everything's in order.”

“Do I get a cookie at the end?” he asked. 

Her eyes flashed annoyance.

“Only if you're supremely good,” she answered and left.

Topher grumbled a little, but her task had suddenly reminded him of the myriad of things in his lab that he wouldn't want anyone else to find. He set Ivy up with the mundane things and then started frantically going through his own personal items.

Priya had offered to help, obviously feeling at odds without Tony around. Topher supposed it would be weird for her to be here, she didn't truly know any of them, yet somehow she did. They were all strangers in a sense, but at least most of them had been awake for the experience. He let her sort some of the wedges, idly supposing he must have a soft spot for her. When he had gotten soft spots, he didn't know, but he had a million things to worry about and that was low on his list of priorities. He would save that for after the end of the world and, hopefully, doing other things to Bennett's face than slugging it.

“What's this?” Priya's cry of outrage cut through his inner monologue and he started in surprise.

“Looks like a wedge of dubious origin.”

“It says Priya Tsetsang's Wish Fulfillment. What the hell is it?”

“Oh boy,” Topher said, sucking in breath through his teeth. Why had he let one of the Dolls sort through his stuff? “Calm down there, cowgirl. Just a little training exercise. Nothing to worry about.”

“If I can't trust you to erase what I don't want to remember than how can I trust you to give me back everything that's truly mine?”

“It's nothing, just bad data. I should've thrown it away.”

“You try and I'll rip your arms off,” she said violently and his eyes widened.

“Okay, I guess it's good Tony's a soldier, help keep all the domestic violence in check. Um, just try and relax. I'll...get you a beer!”

“You'll get me an explanation.”

“Look, it's just an experiment we tried and I kept the data without telling anyone. It doesn't mean anything.”

“Echo!” Priya yelled in response and like magic the troublesome one appeared. 

The girl was a ninja, no doubt about it.

“What's the problem?”

“Look at this,” Priya said, handing her the wedge. 

Echo's eyes narrowed. 

“This was a year ago. They gave us back our personalities without our memories to see what we would do. You, me, Tony, and November.”

“How come you remember that?” Topher squawked. “Oh wait, I know. You're like the Wonder Woman of Dolls and you can't be wiped. Just so you know,” he said firmly, pointing at her, “you're not possible.”

“I know,” she said, and tossed Priya's wedge to him. “Give her back her memories.”

“What?”

“I said, give her back her memories. It's not going to hurt you and it will only strengthen her and Tony's connection.”

“I don't work for y-” he started to say and then backed off when she moved toward him. “But I'm willing to hear about your benefit plan.”

“Chair, Topher,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Fine, fine,” he said. “Come on then, Aussie; let's make you a real girl again.”

Priya moved toward the chair and braced herself in it like someone who was expecting the worst.

He loaded the wedge and pushed the button while reminding himself to check his camera later. Ivy had looked particularly hydrated this morning. What was that other pressing matter? He checked his watch. Thirty-five minutes and counting to Bennett time.

Priya tilted back upward in the chair and sat perfectly still for approximately eighty-five seconds.

“Problem? Didn't take? Remembering some bad shrimp?”

“Be quiet, Topher,” Echo said. 

He subsided, but glared at her.

“I didn't need any more memories of Nolan,” Priya said quietly. “But I guess they pale in horror compared to the last one.”

“Very true, very wise,” Topher said, nodding sagely. 

He couldn't help but be glib around her, if he wasn't he'd just remember that he was responsible for her being here.

“How does it work?” she asked slowly. “How could we be who we were and fight for our past selves without remembering - without being - ourselves?”

“Brains are a complex business,” Topher said slowly. “Really complex. Like beyond me complex and that's pretty complex.”

“Don't say complex again,” Echo told him. “You gonna be okay?” she asked Priya.

“Yeah. It doesn't make that much difference after everything else. Do you have Tony's too?”

“Sure, probably next in your box of things to sort.”

“Give him his when he comes back. I want him to know what he did for me.”

“I'm gonna be slightly busy,” Topher said. “I do believe the end of the world is at stake.”

Ivy entered just then, most definitely licking away the last vestiges of a cranberry apple juice box. Had to be.

“How about her?” Priya asked.

“What about me?” Ivy asked suspiciously, apparently having learned her lesson about being too involved.

“A little imprint for you to do when the heroes come back,” Topher said. “Easy peasy.”

“I thought we were against imprinting now,” she commented wryly.

“Not when Echo says it's okay,” he said, trying to subtly move so she was between him and Echo.

“I got work to do,” Echo said, talking to Priya. “Come find me if you need me.”

“Right.” 

Priya set back to work and Topher watched her. She worked resolutely but every once in awhile she would stop as if something new had just occurred to her.

“I'm sorry,” he said abruptly. 

“About what?” She looked up.

“That time. That you just got back. We were trying to help that time.”

“Does it make up for the other times?” she asked.

“No, and that's why I'm sorry.”

“Forget about it,” she said, and brushed a tear away. “We're all on the same side now.”

“Right,” he said, turning away. “The same side.”

There wasn't any more time for talking. The lab was in a seriously bad state after he'd torn it apart getting ready to hijack Bennett's chair and she was gonna be there in ten minutes.

Then she was there. Oh, she was there. What to do? What to say? The lamest lines ever, apparently. She looked so...so Bennett.

In his peripheral vision, Topher saw Ivy putting Tony in the chair while Priya stood anxiously by. But that part of the day was done. Now it was Bennett time. Time to turn on whatever charm he thought he might possess, which wasn't much. Though something in her eyes gave him hope. Yes, hope.

*** 

Tony could practically feel the memories rearranging themselves. It wasn't like the other times where it didn't seem like anything had changed. This time, he guessed, it was because something was being added to him. Him as he was. Or is. He wasn't really sure how it all worked, but he did know one thing. He knew her. Or had known her. He was getting confused again. He looked up and there she was.

“It's a bit strange, isn't it?” she said, moving closer.

“A little bit. We were ourselves, but not.”

“The memories taken away,” she said.

“But you weren't,” he said, taking her hand.

“I guess I can't be,” she said and smiled.

“What he did...”

“Thank you for helping me,” she said, clearly not wanting to discuss it.

He got out of the chair and they left the imprinting room. The nervousness and the shy feelings were gone. The strange connection was still there, but the feeling like he should take it slow was gone. They weren't on a first date, and maybe they had just technically met, but he knew her inside and out and she knew him as well. He'd always considered himself something of a simple guy, all action and little thought. But this, this was something beyond comprehension and it was wonderful.

She met his lips eagerly with her own. They felt like he'd tasted them a million times even though he knew he hadn't. There didn't seem to be any difference anyway. Time and personalities and awareness weren't an issue for them. He was hers, she was his, and the Dollhouse and Rossum and the world and whatever else couldn't stop that. A dim ruckus sounded in the background, but it was nothing compared to being so close to Priya.

“I guess that was our third kiss then?” she said, when they finally broke apart.

“Fourth,” Topher said from behind them. They turned to see him summoning some security guards and holding his lip which was bleeding. “One of your imprints got kinda frisky.”

“Whose imprint?” Tony asked, going to help him.

“Both.” 

Which was simply a confirmation of everything Tony already knew. No matter what, it would be her.

“What happened?” Priya asked.

“To your imprints or my lip, cause I'm kinda hoping you'd be more worried about the lip.”

“To you, Topher,” Priya said, sighing.

“Turns out Bennett has way more of a thing against Caroline than we thought. It's sort of hot, actually.” 

Priya shook her head, but didn't say anything.

The security team took Bennett away and Topher betook himself to the infirmary to find something to stop the bleeding. 

Tony felt restless. He wanted nothing more than to kiss Priya until the world ended, but he was a soldier still. He was a man of action, someone who needed to be helping, and it felt like there was nothing for him to do. He and Priya were just people who'd been dragged into the crossfire. They weren't geniuses or ex-FBI or people who knew the organization or people who had many other people living inside their head. Though he did know what that felt like. The trip to the Attic had taken care of the neural radio in his head, but he remembered the awesome responsibility of being so many people, especially when Echo had joined the group. He could probably understand her better than anyone else here, but she didn't need him like she needed the others, and that was hard for him.

But it turned out she never forgot him or Priya, because Echo's first action upon an order of lockdown was to let him and Priya go. He thanked her for that with all his heart, because if he couldn't help, then he wanted Priya. He wanted Priya more than he wanted to help. Which was a first for him.

He wondered if they'd ever come back. He felt her hand tightening around his own as they ran toward the exit. Not for a little while at least, if he had anything to say about it. He recalled the last time they'd exited the Dollhouse together, unsure of who they were and what they meant to each other. The funny thing was that he may know who he was now, but the other feeling of needing to protect her hadn't changed from the first time.

It was fascinating how every time he woke up to new things about himself, she was the one thing that never changed. That he could definitely handle.


End file.
